Fermented-milk food product and process of making the same.



ARMEN H. THOUMAIAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FERMENTED-MILK FOOD PRODUCT AND PROCESS OF MAKING THE SAMEt No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARMEN H. THOU- ivrAIaN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have inventedcertain new and useful Im provements in Fermented-Milk Food Products andProcesses of Making the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved fermented milk food product,and process of making the same.

The object of the invention is to provide a fermented milk food productwhich is highly palatable and nutritious, possesses good keepingqualities, is acceptable to the most delicate stomach and easilydigestible, and is, therefore, a valuable article of diet for infantsand invalids and others having impaired digestive organs, and which is,further, free from the objections incident to other fermented milk foodsand, besides constituting a pleasant, agreeable and nourishing articleof food and beverage, for general use, is of especial benefit andadvantage in the alleviation and cure in general of all disorders of thedigestive and intestinal tracts.

A further object of the invention is to provide a process of manufacturewhereby a fermented milk food product of the character set forth may bereliably and efficiently prepared.

My improved fermented milk food product is prepared from pure, fresh,wholesome milk and cream, a special ferment combining the lactic acidbacillus and the Bulgaricus bacillus, and egg albumen. The milk andcream, after being cooled, tested and found thoroughly clean and freefrom disease germs, are placed in a suitable vessel and intimatelycombined, and either before or after admixture, but preferably after,are sterilized at a temperature below boiling, namely, at about 210 F.The sterilized mixture of milk and cream is then cooled to a suitablylower temperature, and at a temperature of from 170 to 180 F. a desiredquantity of pure egg albumen is added thereto and thoroughly combinedtherewith, after which the special ferment is introduced and the mixtureallowed to actively ferment under the action thereof for a period offrom two to three hours, usually about two and one-half hours. Theproduct is then chilled, strained and bot- Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed May 17, 1913.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Serial No. 768,279.

tled or stored in other suitable receptacles for use.

In practice, cream in the proportion of from six to ten parts, or fromsix per cent. to ten per cent, and albumen in the proportion of fromthree to six parts, or from three per cent. to siX per cent, to each onehundred parts of milk, are used, according to the degree of richness andnutritive qualities desired. It will, of course, be understood that,irrespective of other factors, the albumen renders the product morewholesome and nutritious than would otherwise be the case but, inaddition, I have found that the albumen in this product employing lacticacid and Bulgaricus bacilli, exceptionally valuable properties, in thatit acts as a vehicle and diffusing agent for the ferment and, hence,promotes and hastens the process of fermentation to a material degree.Moreover, after a certain period, namely, at the end of the most activestage of fermentation, it retards further fermentation, and, hence,serves as a preservative, enhancing the keeping properties of theproduct. Finally, the albumen performs the highly valuable and importantfunction of reducing the acidity to a practically negli ible point, anobjection present in all other fermented milk food products with which Iam familiar, and renders the product bland and soothing, acceptable tothe most delicate stomach and non-irritating even in seriousinflammatory conditions of the alimentary canal.

The product prepared in the manner described, and under the action ofthe special ferment set forth, is of a yellowishwhite color, of thickcream-like consistency, smooth and without clots of separation, of apleasant, faintly-acid odor and entirely free from cheese-like odor,totally devoid of acridity, and neither sweet nor sour, but of a mostagreeable cream-like taste and delicious flavor. Unlike ordinary milk orcream, it is not constipating and does not leave a fatty taste in themouth, but, on the contrary, is slightly laxative and leaves the mouthsweet and pure, and does not coagulate into curds in the stomach underthe action of the gastric juices, remaining liquid, so that it is easilyattacked by the gastrio juices and may be digested in the most delicatestomach. It is for this, and the other reasons stated, of the utmostvalue in malnutrition, diseases of the digestive and intestinal tracts,fevers and other Wasting diseases, as it may be retained and digestedwhen all other food substances are rejected. It is also bland andhealing in all inflammatory conditions.

Chemical analysis of this food product shows that it retains all theingredients and food values of the original milk and cream, while beingreadily digestible, and having the other desirable qualities noted, theproduct containing protein (combined) five per cent, fat five and twotenths per cent. and carbohydrate, four per cent. Its calorific valueper quart, is from eight hundred and fifty to one thousand calories,whereas the average good quality milk gives only from six hundred to sixhundred and fifty calo ries. Bacteriological and microscopicalexamination shows the presence of a prolific growth of a shortbacillusthe lactic acid bacillus, and a long bacillus known as theBulgaricus bacillus, also a lactic acid-forming organism, one of themost vigorous known, and exceptionally few yeast cells and no colonbacillus pus or disease producing organisms. It is, therefore,antagonistic to the pathogenic and other disease producing germs whichinfest the intestinal tract, as well as those germs which producefermentation in the refuse remaining from undigested fcocl, and byprohibiting the growth of such germs acts as an intestinal antisepticand preventive of many diseases.

The product may be weakened by the addition of water, if desired, tosuit the taste or fancy, used as a beverage as well as a food, andserved hot or cold. By evapora tion it may be reduced to a powder, towhich a required amount of water may be added when used.

I claim 1. A fermented milk food product having the followingcharacteristics and properties, to wit: of a yellowish-white color,thick cream-like consistency, smooth and without clots of separation, apleasant faintly-acid odor and freedom from cheese-like odor oracridity, neither sweet nor sour but of a cream-like taste and agreeableflavor, and non-curdling and freely digestible under the action of thegastric juices, the said product containing protein (combined)approximately five per cent, fat, approximately five and two tenths percent, carbohydrate, ap proximately four per cent., a prolific growth oflactic acid bacillus and Bulgaricus bacillus, and having a caloric valueper quart of approximately from eight hundred and fifty to one thousandcalories, substantially as described.

2. A ferment-ed lacteal food product of the character describedcontaining milk, lactic acid bacillus and Bulgaricus bacillus.

3. A fermented lacteal food product of the character described containinmilk, cream, egg albumen, lactic-acid bacifius and Bulgaricus bacillus.

at. A fermented milk food containing lactic acid and Bulgaricus bacilliand egg albumen.

5. The herein-described method of making a fermented lact-albumen foodproduct, which consists in combining egg albumen with a lactael fluid,and fermenting the mixture by the action of a ferment containinglactic-acid and Bulgaricus bacilli.

6. The hereindescribed method of making a fermented food product, whichconsists in mixing a small proportion of cream with milk, sterilizingthe mixture at a temperature close to but below the boiling point, andthen fermenting the mixture by the action of a ferment containinglacticacid and Bulgaricus bacilli.

7. The herein-described method of making a fermented lact-albumen foodproduct, which consists in mixing a small proportion of cream with milk,sterilizing the mixture at a temperature close to but below the boilingpoint, cooling the mixture to a degree below the sterilizingtemperature, adding thereto egg albumen, and then fermenting the mixtureby the action of a ferment containing lactic-acid and Bulgaricusbacilli.

8. The herein-described method of making a fermented lact-albumen foodproduct, which consists in mixing a small proportion of cream with milk,sterilizing the mixture at a temperature of about two hundred and tendegrees, cooling the mixture to a temperature between one hundred andseventy degrees and one hundred and eighty degrees, adding thereto eggalbumen, and then fermenting the mixture by the action of a fermentcontaining lactic-acid and Bulgaricus bacilli.

9. The herein described method of making a fermented milk food product,which consists in subjecting a lacteal fluid to a process ofsterilization at a temperature close to but below. the boiling point,and then fermenting the sterilized fluid by the action of a fermentcontaining lactic acid and Bulgaricus bacilli.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARMEI H. THOUMAIAN.

Witnesses AGNES I. STEWART, BENNETT S. J ONES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C."

